Project Recovery: Mothers, Children, Families

Housed within CADA is our Perinatal Program. This program is essentially a resource where new or expecting mothers who are struggling with addiction can come and feel supported by other individuals with similar experiences. The goal is to promote stronger, healthier parenting skills, while also focusing on how to promote self-confidence and self-esteem, and establishing safety in the home. The therapeutic group setting is a non-biased trusting environment where the topics of addiction, sobriety, and recovery are addressed as they relate to parenthood.

To read a personal story that Amy Rice, the Perinatal Program Manager, shared click below…

A client was referred to the perinatal program by CWS in hopes of reuniting with her daughter who was removed from her custody and placed in foster care. The client’s legal history alone made reunification an unlikely option. The client, having never completed a program was reluctant to trust the other women, arriving in group angry, depressed, and helpless. Throughout her time at Project Recovery she successfully completed her GED with honors, secured a full-time job and enrolled in a drug and alcohol program at Santa Barbara City College. Her self-esteem and self-confidence blossomed over the course of her treatment along with her ability to trust and welcome others into her life. She completed and graduated from the program having remained clean and sober for the entire seven month duration of her treatment, which was the longest period of sobriety she’d experienced in over twenty-years.

We are so proud to support women like this on their journey to a fulfilling life for themselves and their children!

For an idea of what goes on in the Perinatal Program the below are topics that are included in the perinatal curriculum:

1.Trust and Guilt
2. Positive Discipline
3. Postpartum depression
4. Separation Anxiety
5. Anger Management
6. Parenting Sober, discussing the challenges and recognizing the negative patterning.
7. Preparing for visits with children including expectations, coping strategies, and positive communication
8. Spousal Relationships, how that impact the home environment and when to ask for help
9. Resourcing within the community including childcare options, 12-step, sponsor support
10. Prenatal and postpartum health for both parent and child including diet plans, caloric intake for the infant or child, and the importance of exercise
11. Employment after having a child, appropriateness of the work site, and when to start working
12. Sex and Health Education which includes: Hepatitis B,C , Breast Cancer, Infant First Aid, When to go to the doctor, Fetal health including exposure to teratogens throughout the pregnancy, STD, and Birth control options